Abstract

Objectives: Regarding the importance of the role of emotional intelligence in the incidence of emotional disorders and mental health, this study was carried out to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and problem-solving styles with general health.

Method: In this cross-sectional, descriptive, and corelational study, Modified Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale (MSEIS), Problem-Solving Styles (PSS) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were assessed on 69 first-year psychology and educational sciences students of Tabriz�University in two steps. They were selected by a stratified cluster sampling. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation and stepwise multiple regression statistical methods.

Results: Findings revealed that emotional intelligence was positively and significantly associated with general health and both the confidence and the approach styles of problem-solving (p<0.001) and negatively and significantly associated with both the helplessness and the avoidance styles of problem-solving (p<0.05). Results showed that the helplessness, confidence, and approach styles of problem-solving can respectively predict 24%, 8%, and 6% of general health variance (p<0.001). Also, the approach and confidence styles of problem-solving respectively predict 19% and 10% of the emotional intelligence variance (p<0.001).

Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and problem-solving styles with the general health.